Executive Summary - PK CLASSES



Peaceful KidsProgram Proposal(School / Organisation Name here)13804906477000Prepared by:Your name hereYour business name here if you have oneyour website link if you have oneyour logo if you have one1888490-37909500Peaceful Kids program forward by Dr. Craig HassedThe modern world?seems to be?literally and metaphorically 'driving us to distraction' more than at any other time in history. This is?contributed to by?its faster pace, the overuse of technology and the unquestioning adoption of multitasking. Among other problems, poor attention is associated with impaired learning, memory, emotional development and empathy. Amidst this are also rising rates of poor mental health, stress, poor self-esteem?and ADHD among children and adolescents. To prevent and manage problems such as these we need to address the root causes of the problem. This is where Mindfulness comes in. ?There is an enormous need for children to develop the skills they will need to cope with the modern world including learning to manage attention and?developing skills in stress management, compassion and resilience. There is a?rapidly growing research-based on the positive role of Mindfulness for healthy childhood development and learning. Georgina Manning's 'Peaceful Kids' program makes a great contribution to helping children to develop these skills early in life - a skill that will stand them in good stead for the rest of their lives. It is practical, systematic and can help?children to understand themselves better and to develop ways to not just to survive in the modern world but to thrive in it. It is also likely that the adults who learn and teach the program will derive as much from it as the children who experience it which is an added bonus. Let's face it, if adults are not teaching children to be mindful then we are teaching them to be unmindful.Dr Craig Hassed MBBS, FRACGPSenior LecturerMonash University, Department of General PracticeCoordinator of Mindfulness programs at Monash UniversityFounding president of the Australian Teachers of Meditation Association3607435000Executive SummaryMindfulness has great potential as a key strategy for positively impacting on the learning and wellbeing outcomes of children and young people in education settings. Research has shown that the mental health and wellbeing outcomes for younger people are consistent with those observed for adults. In particular, reduction in stress, and anxiety symptoms, and increases in calmness, self-esteem, self-acceptance, self-regulation and sleep quality have been regularly observed.Data from the Australian National Mental Health Survey shows that young people have the highest incidence and prevalence of mental illness across the lifespan, with almost one in seven 4-17 year-olds assessed as having mental disorders in the previous 12 months. Furthermore, COVID-19 has brought about a complex array of factors such as uncertainty, social isolation, and parental angst that have an impact on the mental health of children and adolescents.With its focus on paying attention to the present moment, Mindfulness is likely to have beneficial effects on the emotional wellbeing, mental health, ability to learn and the physical health of school students. Mindfulness training is one effective and cost-efficient way to promote healthy brain development and function, and foster stress resilience. Mindfulness can be implemented at (school or organisation name here) across a 10-week period in all grades. Details of the Peaceful Kids intervention program for small groups of children who need extra support are also included in this proposal.3323590000BackgroundMental Illness is a major concern facing all Australians. One in five adults will experience mental illness in any one-year and one in two people in their lifetime. The World Health Organisation (WHO) predicts that depression will be the leading burden of disease by 2020. Data from the Australian National Mental Health Survey shows that young people have the highest incidence and prevalence of mental illness across the lifespan,1 with almost one in seven 4-17 year-olds assessed as having mental disorders in the previous 12 months.2 Mental health is an essential part of children’s overall health and has a complex interactive relationship with their physical health and their ability to succeed in school, at work and in society. As such the emotional wellbeing of children is just as important as their physical health. Good mental health allows children and young people to develop the resilience to cope with whatever life throws at them and grow into well-rounded, healthy adults.Impact of COVID-19COVID-19 has brought about a complex array of factors such as uncertainty, social isolation, and parental angst that have an impact on the mental health of children and adolescents. Predictability which is a major stabilising force for children and adolescents, has been disrupted since the COVID-19 outbreak. Children have many worries such as whether they will see their friends and extended family, go to school, or get sick. I have experienced this firsthand in my own household with my 12-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter. We as parents are usually adept at making plans for children, however, our future plans are also on hold. Children have many worries related to the consequences of COVID-19 such as whether they will see their friends and relatives, go to school, or get sick. It is often difficult for parents to calm their children’s anxieties because of the uncertainty in their lives. Parents are typically adept at making plans for their children, but future plans are currently on hold. The challenges facing parents may interfere with their usual ability to address their children’s emotional needs. Whilst COVID-19 is sparing most kids’ bodies, it’s not being so kind to their minds. Living in a universe that is already out of their control, they can become especially shaken when the verities they count on to give the world order-the rituals in their lives, the very day-to-day ways of living get blown to bits. An online survey administered to children and adolescents aged 7 to 18 years during the spread of COVID-19 in China found that higher than previously reported scores of youth depression, anxiety; youth who had a family member or friend with COVID-19 had higher levels of anxiety than those who did not. 329501561976000The emotional impact of the COVID-19 quarantine was also assessed for children and adolescents from Italy and Spain.?Participants parents of children aged 3 to 18 years who completed a survey about the effects of the quarantine on their children, compared to before the home confinement period. The study found 85.7% of parents reported changes in their children’s emotions and behaviours during the quarantine. The most frequently observed changes were difficulty concentrating (76.6%), boredom (52%), irritability (39%), restlessness (38.8%), nervousness (38%), loneliness (31.3%), uneasiness (30.4%), and worries (30.1%). About 75% of parents reported feeling stressed about the quarantine situation. Parental stress was associated with increased reports of emotional and behavioural symptoms in their children.3 According to a report by Australian Human Rights Commission and Kids Helpline surveyed children and young people spoke about worry, stress, feeling tapped, frustration, anger, sadness, loss and grief.4Introduction to MindfulnessJon Kabat-Zinn (2003) describes Mindfulness as a way of ‘paying attention in a particular way; on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgementally’. Mindfulness can be explained by giving movement to moment awareness of one’s experience without judgment. Mindfulness is not about trying to relax or to achieve a particular outcome through the process. It is the ability to be fully present without being ‘caught up’ in our thoughts. Children of all ages can benefit from Mindfulness, the simple practice of bringing a gentle accepting attitude to the present moment.For children, Mindfulness is an excellent way to provide experiences that enhance their emotional intelligence including:Self-regulationImpulse controlUnderstanding their emotionsControlling their emotions Building awareness of themselves as a whole personThe benefits of regular Mindfulness include:Keeping calmReducing stressBeing less reactiveMore resilience to life’s inevitable difficultiesIncreased focused and attention & ability to learnIncreased concentration and memoryA decrease in anxietyDecrease in worrying thoughtsA renewed energyReservoir of strength and resilienceImproved sleepAllows compassion & empathy to grow48707581201500Peaceful Kids ResearchPeaceful Kids is based on evidence-based therapy and research from the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction program (MBSR), Mindfulness-integrated Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (MiBCT), Positive Psychology and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.????The Peaceful Kids program is endorsed by the?Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards (BOSTES)Peaceful Kids has been independently reviewed and listed in the 'Be You' Programs Directory. It meets the minimum requirements set by 'Be You' and has been awarded a rating for evidence and implementation.?Research has also been conducted through EACH on both the Peaceful Kids and Peaceful Parents program and evaluated by Save the Children for their 'Cool for School' Program.?Peaceful Kids has been approved as a quality-assured program in the NSW Department of Education’s Student Wellbeing external programs catalogue in the theme of Resilience.41931021348800-5058122233800377909720510500Research on MindfulnessThere have been thousands of research papers written on the benefits of Mindfulness and its health benefits over the last 40 years. It has been proved that even just a few minutes of Mindfulness a day has enormous benefits and helps children to focus and bring full attention to their tasks. To date, the majority of research into the effects of Mindfulness on children and adolescents has been carried out in the United States and, to a lesser degree, in the United Kingdom, although at least one study has also been conducted among primary school children in Australia. This research has shown that the mental health and wellbeing outcomes for younger people are consistent with those observed for adults. Reduction in stress, and depressive and anxiety symptoms, and increases in calmness, self-esteem, self-acceptance, self-regulation and sleep quality have been regularly observed. In the Australian study, there was found to be a significant reduction in depressive symptoms and the number of children falling into the borderline or diagnostic category of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) following completion of a 10-week Mindfulness in schools programme. Other benefits of Mindfulness training among children and adolescents include improved social and emotional competence, and behavioural regulation.Research also suggests that Mindfulness practice also has more direct benefits on academic achievement, including an increased ability to transfer previously learned material to new situations, increased creativity, an improved ability to retain instructional knowledge, an improved ability for selective attention, and a decrease in levels of test anxiety. Lastly, teachers also benefit from Mindfulness training. There is a wealth of research regarding the effects of Mindfulness on adults, which includes stress reduction and positive affect. This can have a great flow-on benefits for students by strengthening positive teacher-student relationships. 47557273217300Peaceful Kids - 8-week Intervention Program Regularly practicing Mindfulness exercises have been shown to significantly reduce the symptoms of anxiety. A mindful approach to anxiety and stress symptoms includes emotional regulation strategies, relaxation techniques and Mindfulness strategies. During the 8-week program we work with children in groups of 4-6 who are feeling anxious, stressed or who are poor in resilience, in 60-minute lessons. Every session includes a Mindful Movement and ends with a guided Mindfulness practice. Note: Programs for 5 and 6-year-olds are modified to run over 5 weeks instead of 8. Week 1Introduction to MindfulnessUsing the breath to calm the body and mindWeek 2Worry & MindfulnessExplaining worrying and normalising anxiety like other emotionsHow Mindfulness can help to lessen worryingWeek 3The body, brain and worryingBody sensations, howe worrying affects our bodiesBody scan Mindfulness practiceWeek 4Journaling, worry time and worry spotUsing journaling to express feelings and copeWorry spot Mindfulness practiceWeek 5Practical & expressive coping strategiesEffective problem-solving methods for anxietyTense and relax Mindfulness practiceWeek 6Noticing thoughts and positive thoughtsNoticing unhelpful thoughts and getting to know self-talkLeaves on a stream Mindfulness practiceWeek 73 great things, peace, and coping cardsBeing in the flow activitiesMindfulness of feeling practiceWeek 8 Warm & Fuzzy Book, Peaceful Kids Box & Meditation BraceletActivating positive memoriesSharing of strategies learntCostPlease see below pricing for the recommended programs. Option 1: Schools cover the cost of the programs. We provide all the learning materials at no extra cost to the school or parents. Option 2: Parents cover the cost for their child to attend the Peaceful Kids Intervention program. ProgramGroup sizeCost‘Peaceful Kids’ 8 Week Intervention program for children who need additional supportMin 4, Max 6$340 per child for the 8-week program – Parents cover cost or school supplement About (you or your business name here) A bit about you and or your business hereReferencesMilnes, A., Pegrum, K., Nebe, B., Topfer, A., Gaal, L., Zhang, J., & Hunter, N. (2011). Young Australians: Their Health and Wellbeing 2011. Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and WelfareLawrence, D., Johnson, S., Hakefost, J., Boterhoven De Haan, K., Sawyer, M., Ainley, J., Zubrick, S. (2015). The Mental Health of Children and Adolescents: Report On the Second Australian Child and Adolescent Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing. Department of Health, CanberraWagner K.D., (2020), New Findings About Children’s Mental Health During COVID-19, Retrieved from Australian Human Rights Commission, (2020), Impacts of COVID-19 on Children and Young People Who Contact Kids Helpline ................
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